[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 31 (Thursday, February 18, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 10071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-03302]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2021-SCC-0024]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 
2022-23 (ECLS-K:2023) Study Delay

AGENCY: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Department of 
Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is 
proposing a change to a currently approved information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
March 22, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for proposed 
information collection requests should be sent within 30 days of 
publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find 
this particular information collection request by selecting 
``Department of Education'' under ``Currently Under Review,'' then 
check ``Only Show ICR for Public Comment'' checkbox.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Carrie Clarady, 202-245-6347 or 
email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Education (ED), in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with 
an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing 
collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact 
of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's 
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in 
the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed 
information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The 
Department of Education is especially interested in public comment 
addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to 
the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be 
processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden 
accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the 
Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, 
including through the use of information technology. Please note that 
written comments received in response to this notice will be considered 
public records.
    Title of Collection: Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, 
Kindergarten Class of 2022-23 (ECLS-K:2023) Study Delay.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-0750.
    Type of Review: No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently 
approved information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 46,033.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 8,655.
    Abstract: The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) program, 
conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within 
the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of 
Education (ED), draws together information from multiple sources to 
provide rich, descriptive data on child development, early learning, 
and school progress. The ECLS program studies deliver national data on 
children's status at birth and at various points thereafter; children's 
transitions to nonparental care, early care and education programs, and 
school; and children's experiences and growth through the elementary 
grades. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 
2022-23 (ECLS-K:2023) is the fourth cohort in the series of early 
childhood longitudinal studies. The study will advance research in 
child development and early learning by providing a detailed and 
comprehensive source of current information on children's early 
learning and development, transitions into kindergarten and beyond, and 
progress through school. Collecting parent data beginning in preschool 
will enable the study to measure influences on children's development 
before entry into formal schooling, including children's home 
environments and access to early care and education. The request to 
conduct a field test of the ECLS-K:2023 preschool data collection 
activities from January through October 2020, to field test the 
preschool data collection materials and procedures, was approved in 
November 2019 (OMB#1850-0750 v.19), with change requests approved in 
January and July 2020 (OMB #1850-0750 v.20-21). This request is to 
notify OMB and the public that, due to concerns that as a result of the 
ongoing coronavirus pandemic the ECLS field test and national study 
recruitment activities that had been planned for 2021 may not be 
successful, NCES has decided to postpone the study by one year, and the 
study will now be the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten 
Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). The kindergarten-first grade field test 
will be moved from fall 2021 to fall 2022. The national study data 
collections will also be delayed a year, beginning in 2023. The third-
fifth grade field test will be moved from fall 2025 to fall 2026. No 
other planned procedures or features of the study will change. Approval 
for the fall 2022 kindergarten-first grade field test and national 
study recruitment will be requested in a separate submission later in 
2021.

    Dated: February 12, 2021.
Stephanie Valentine,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2021-03302 Filed 2-17-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P